The First Principles Of Pianoforte Playing

A complete playing tutorial for self learners or school use.

keep its side of the hand as well raised as the index-finger side ol the hand; or if anything, the little-finger side should be favoured. The only apparent exception is in the case of Rotation-touch, when the hand itself tilts a little from side to side.

27): Hand-touch (Wrist-touch), implies a movement of the hand during the act of key-depression. This movement arises at the wrist-joint, and is visible as a movement of the hand at the knuckle-end.

It is not necessary that this movement should exceed the dis­tance from key-surface to key-bottom; but the hand may, like the finger, play " from a distance nwhen there is ample time for such preliminary movement. Any such preparatory raising of the hand, must however be followed by its falling upon the keys, thus remaking contact without any real hitting of the ivories.

28) : The fingers do not move relatively to the hand in Hand-touch. (Vide § 10.)

29) : The height of the Wrist is determined by the position of the fingers. Its normal position is usually about level with the knuckles, or slightly lower, if these are well-raised.The wrist-level may, however, vary con-

siderably without causing any discomfort, provided we do not confine ourselves either to an exaggeratedly high or low position of it.

Rapid octave passages are moreover usually found easier with the wrist-level slightly higher than the normal.

30) : The wrist must alternately rise and fall, slightly, when a passage requires the thumb on alternate black and white keys. In this case the wrist is lower for the black key than for the white key. But the movement should not be greater than will just suffice to enable the Elbow to remain quiet.

31): Lateral movements are required of the wrist, fore-arm and upper-arm, to enable us to bring the finger-tips over their keys. The larger the distance to be reached, the larger is the portion of the limb chosen, by means of which to execute the movement.